Kamehameha's versatile Ching, coach Cockett earn top accolades

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The ball was in good hands whenever Megan Ching controlled it — passing, dribbling, or shooting. The Kamehameha junior's versatility helped the Warriors win the Interscholastic League of Honolulu title. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

At 10.8 points per game, she barely made it into double figures.

Yet when it came to balloting for the ILH Player of the Year, Ching had the right numbers from coaches voting for the top honor.

"If you look at the rest of her stats, she was second on our team in rebounding and led the team in assists and steals," Kamehameha coach Clay Cockett said. "And a lot of times, if the score wasn't close, she'd play only half the game. When we needed her to play the full game against certain teams, that's when she was most effective."

Ching, a 5-foot-7 junior, averaged 5.1 rebounds, four assists and three steals per game, and also gave the Warriors production that did not always show up in the stat box. Her role could be described as "point forward" — a person who could bring the ball up the floor against pressure, hit the perimeter jumper or drive to the basket and also help out on the boards.

Ching's versatility proved especially valuable because point guard Tiffiny Shim was lost for most of the season with a stress fracture in her right foot. Shim was considered to be the team's best ballhandler.

"Megan played every position we had, '1' (point guard) through '5' (center), all season," Cockett said. "And her value as a leader, how she communicated with teammates, that was hard to measure."

One way to measure it is in Kamehameha's ILH record, 14-1, and league finish, No. 1.

Ching is the only Warrior on the ILH all-star first team. She is joined by Punahou's dynamic duo of guard Rachel Kane and center Becky Hogue, Sacred Hearts forward Brittney Aiwohi, Maryknoll guard Michelle Baduria and University High guard Diane Okubo.

Kane, a 5-7 junior, was similar to Ching in terms of all-around contributions. She averaged 10.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.4 steals per game.

In the Buffanblu's 58-36 victory over Kamehameha in the first round, Kane had 15 points, seven rebounds, seven steals and five assists.

Hogue, a 6-foot junior, also put up big numbers as the league's premier low-post threat: 14.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Aiwohi, a 5-11 senior, finished as the ILH scoring champion after averaging 15.9 points per game. In the league opener against Punahou, she scored 34 points, an O'ahu season high.

Baduria, a 5-7 senior, was another potent weapon on offense. She led the league in 3-point shooting, sinking 25 shots from beyond the arc. Baduria also had a huge game against Punahou, scoring a season-high 24 points.

Okubo, a 5-5 junior, finished third in league scoring with a 13.8 average. She also finished second to Baduria in 3-point goals, with 17.

Cockett, who guided a Kamehameha team that included only one senior starter to the title, was named Coach of the Year.